In the past, gang valve assemblies for aquariums have been comprised of various metals which are resistant to oxidation in an aqueous environment. Typically, these valve assemblies have been comprised of many complicated and expensive machined brass fittings.
The present invention relates to an all-plastic gang valve assembly for use in a home and/or hobby aquarium, as a replacement or substitute for more conventional metal valves. This type of gang valve assembly is ordinarily supported on the aquarium wall and interconnected with an air pump for supplying oxygenated air to a plurality of air operated devices within the aquarium tank.
In accordance with the present invention, the new multiple valve assembly is constructed entirely of a thermosettable or thermoplastic resin material, and preferably a thermoplastic resin, such as high impact polystyrene, for example. The individual components are of improved and simplified design and may be injection molded on a mass production basis, using a limited number of molds therefor. Advantageously, the valve assembly may be comprised of a gang of any number of individual modular valves associated with a common manifold, also of modular design. Thus, the modularity of the individual valve bodies integrated with the modular manifold portions thereof may be assembled to form gang valves of varying numbers of individual valves.